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community
By Jerry DeRoche
IRON RIVER — By its very nature, a local newspaper interacts deeply with its people and its business community. And many of a newspaper’s employees are well recognized in the public sphere.
At the Iron County Reporter, there have been several individuals through the decades who have become “faces of the newspaper.” Many of them have been reporters, out in the community at municipal meetings, athletic events and events like rodeos, parades and fairs.
But there is one person at the Reporter who is not a reporter, general manager or photographer and who has become synonymous with the newspaper. Over the last 34 years, Nan Borske became as identifiable as anyone, especially for the last 24 years as the newspaper’s office manager.
On March 31, Nan will retire from the Reporter and head into a life of retirement after three decades of service to the newspaper of her beloved hometown.
“It’s time,” Nan said. “I’m going to be 65 in April and just want to spend more time enjoying life. I’ve got six grandchildren (I want to spend more time with). It will be (liberating). And I want to do what I want. I’ve already been offered a part-time job and I’m like, ‘I don’t want to have to go to work.’”
Anyone who has worked into their late 50s, 60s and even 70s can sympathize with that point of view. In some ways, it’s remarkable that we spend so much of our lives working as opposed to living. Of course, for some, working is living and that’s certainly an admirable way to spend one’s days.
Most people have to work. Some don’t particularly like their jobs. That group does not include Nan.
“I’ve loved working here. I’ve always loved it. And I like everybody I work with. That’s the main thing I’m really going to miss is the interactions with people, whether it be phone calls or people coming in.”
Despite being a naturally shy person, Nan became very comfortable with these interactions. Anyone who has worked alongside her can testify to the grace and sometimes, by necessity, patience that she has brought to interactions with those who stop into the Reporter office or call.
She’s been part officer manager and part confidant to many.
“I’ve always been (shy), but not when it comes to that,” she said. “Some of these people literally call just to talk. Or come in and talk. A lot of these people are older people that call, and they just want to talk. And they talk about everything and I would never say I can’t talk. I just let them talk and I listen. They know who I am, and I like to talk to different people.”
Nan’s duties evolved far beyond answering phone calls and waiting on customers who stop in. For her first 10 years, Nan worked in the mailroom with her sister Karen. She then became a receptionist for then-publisher Joyce Myefski.
And now?
“I take care of the subscription program, the credit card program, Paypal, postal reports, billing. It’s even a lot of small things that are done once a month or once a year even. It’s a lot of different little things that nobody even knows that I do.”
For the past few months, Nan has trained her replacement, Julie Cattani. It certainly has been an overwhelming task for both women at times, but when a valuable employee who is a jack-of-all-trades leaves, there is a lot of knowledge to pass on.
Plus, Nan has become used to the commotion that is part and parcel of an office manager’s job.
“I like that. And sometimes it seems kind of overwhelming when you’ve got three or four things going on at one time. But it all gets done by the end of the day. It all comes together.”
Nan’s last year at the Reporter has been different than any other. And you can probably guess why. The COVID-19 pandemic has reached into every aspect of our lives and in the operations of businesses. With safety restrictions put in place because of the virus, Nan has seen much less foot traffic than she ever has.
And being a germaphobe of sorts, Nan has been OK with that, despite her love for meeting customers.
“We don’t get very many people coming in here now. I do miss it. But now as soon as somebody comes in, I’m kind of like, ‘Ooohhh.’”
As her time at the Reporter winds down, Nan can begin to envision a different life – one of vacations, camping and additional family involvement. Plus, she hopes to become one of the snowbirds that she’s helped over the years with change of address matters or holds.
“Oh, I hope so, even if it’s just for a couple of weeks. Like a month would be nice. We like Orange Beach, Alabama and I’m sure that’s where we would go.”
And we can all wish that for her. Plus, a happy retirement overall. After all, Nan has earned it.